$18,283 pay raise approved after some controversy

Wednesday

Oct 24, 2012 at 12:01 AM

SAN ANDREAS - Calaveras County supervisors Tuesday denied they had illegally voted behind closed doors to give an $18,283 pay raise to the public works director. But several of them admitted they had discussed the raise during a closed-door meeting, and the board ultimately voted to undo the previously-approved raise and then re-approve it.

Dana M. Nichols

SAN ANDREAS - Calaveras County supervisors Tuesday denied they had illegally voted behind closed doors to give an $18,283 pay raise to the public works director. But several of them admitted they had discussed the raise during a closed-door meeting, and the board ultimately voted to undo the previously-approved raise and then re-approve it.

The vote was 3-2 with supervisors Darren Spellman and Steve Wilensky opposed. Spellman said that even though he personally believes the $136,115 annual salary is appropriate to retain someone with the skills of Public Works Director Tom Garcia, he was voting against it because his constituents see Garcia's pay as excessive. Wilensky said he could not support the raise because lower-ranking county employees have seen their pay cut in recent years and simply lack the juice to cut deals like the one granted to Garcia.

Controversy over the pay raise erupted after Calaveras County Auditor Rebecca Callen refused earlier this month to increase Garcia's pay check. Callen said she believed the raise was improper because it had not been approved in public and following an opportunity for public input.

"My feeling was just that the public was robbed of their ability to speak about it," Callen said.

Califoria's open meeting law specifies that elected leaders cannot act behind closed doors to grant pay raises to particular employees.

County supervisors acknowledge that during a closed-door evaluation of Garcia's performance earlier this year, they did direct staff to process a pay increase for him. They insist they did not vote on the matter during the closed door session and that the pay raise only became final after they voted publicly Sept. 25 on a resolution that included a variety of changes to the county's position control list for the fiscal year that began in July.

"We're really a transparent board whether we get credit for it or we don't get credit for it," said Supervisor Merita Callaway.

Callen and others, however, did not give credit for the Sept. 25 vote. The public notice for that agenda item did not specify that Garcia was getting a raise and the details of the transaction were buried within the document.

A number of Calaveras County employees on Tuesday, now that they knew about the raise, voiced their outrage. Those employees in recent years have suffered pay cuts and increased workloads, said Amy Barry, acting president of Service Employees International Union Local 1021.

"The morale in our department is terrible," said Charles Williams, who works in the Road Department, which is part of Public Works.

Supervisors, however, said they need to pay Garcia enough to keep him on the job and that the county risks losing much more money if he leaves before county staff completes such crucial work as updating the county's General Plan. County leaders pointed to millions of dollars in state and federal highway funding that they say has flowed to the county under Garcia's leadership.

Garcia, who witnessed the barrage of criticism leveled at him Tuesday, said he plans to remain on the job for Calaveras County.